Michigan

Tropical beaches, spas among 'best of' lists

File photoCanyon Ranch Spas, including this one in Tucson, Arizona, are among the top spas in the world, according to readers of Spa Magazine.

BY SUE SCHRODER
BOOTH MICHIGAN TRAVEL EDITOR

All it takes is one gray, cold day in West Michigan for the World's 10 best tropical beaches to beckon. This and other "best of"; picks that follow, most closer to home, are meant for the traveling list-lovers among us.

Diving into the beaches

No. 1: Playa del Carmen, Mexico. According to a story from TimesOnline, the Sunday Times of London:

"Fifty miles south of the high-rise horrors of Cancun is Playa del Carmen, a rambling, palm-roofed party town where hippie kids tote bongos, mariachi men strum guitars and everyone else parades among the boutiques and bars of Fifth Avenue. It's an exotic brew, bubbling away behind a 10-mile white-sand beach that never stops jumping . . . .

"If it gets too lively, grab a bus to Akumal, hire a snorkel at the dive centre and commune with the sea turtles."

In the Hidden Gems category, here is my short list of some of the more intriguing travel destinations among honorees being recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in its National Preservation Awards:

1. Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, Detroit : When it opened in 1924, Detroit's Book Cadillac Hotel was, at 33 stories, the tallest hotel in the world. Closed for more than two decades, the hotel has been lavishly reborn after a three-year, $180 million renovation. (Read all about this elegant property in the Nov. 8 travel section.)

2. Fairbanks Flats, Beloit, Wis.: Fairbanks Flats was constructed in 1917 as company housing for African-American machinists. After years of deterioration, the complex was painstakingly rehabilitated and today is again a community anchor.

3. Bedford Springs Resort, Bedford, Pa.: In the Allegheny mountains of south central Pennsylvania., this famed resort that once served as the summer White House of President James Buchanan sparkles again after a meticulous $120 million renovation.

4. Meier & Frank Department Store Building, Portland, Ore.: The Meier & Frank department store was a beloved community landmark for nearly a century before it fell into disrepair. The Portland Development Commission led an effort to turn the once-faded terra cotta palace into a luxury hotel and department store.

5. Please Touch Museum at Memorial Hall, Philadelphia, Pa.: Memorial Hall, one of just two buildings remaining from the Centennial Exposition of 1876, was transformed into a new home for Please Touch Museum, an award-winning learning center for children.